Call it a classic case of serendipity, or just sheer dumb luck, but Harley's release of its recent financial numbers earlier this week - a report of broad performance improvements in the second quarter of 2011, with strong earnings growth, increased shipments and a bump in motorcycle sales both in the U.S. and abroad - came just at about the same time the Motor Company chose to unveil the first of its true 2012 models - the CVO lineup. Though select 2012 carryover models in the Sportster and Touring line were announced several weeks ago, the 2012 CVOs usher in the new model year with a bit more pizzazz and excitement. An overview of the new models follows here, and you can read our riding impressions of them in the December issue of Motorcycle Cruiser magazine, on sale 10/11/2011.
You know the CVO party line by now: Harley-Davidson Custom Vehicle Operations (CVO) unit represents the Motor Company's leading edge of style, technology and performance (and come with an equally awesome price tag). So it was fitting that Harley chose the relatively sleepy town of Calistoga, perched at the top of California's decidedly un-sleepy Napa Valley, as the backdrop for its unveiling. As we've come to expect, four new limited-production machines were rolled out for 2012, all wearing bold paint, gleaming chrome, high-output audio and the most-powerful V-Twin engines offered in production Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In Harley's mind, each "CVO model is a rolling object of desire for the discerning motorcyclist." With a town full of hot springs, mud baths and cool wines lurking in the background, it was hard to argue that point.
Napa Valley Riding - Our ride route crisscrossed the best of California's Napa and Sonoma Valleys, so we were treated to a perfect platter of rolling hills and tight sweeperS, stacked up for miles.
All four of the 2012 CVOs now get powered by the fuel-injected Twin Cam 110 V-Twin, the largest-displacement engine offered in a Harley-Davidson machine. With a claimed 122 ft./lbs. of torque, this power plant is only available from the factory in CVO models. The CVOs are further tricked out using premium accessories and components - some of them being introduced for the first time - and paint treatments combined with a grab bag of items from the vast Harley-Davidson Genuine Motor Accessories catalog. All the CVO motorcycles are backed by a two-year, unlimited mileage warranty.
As is customary for the CVO series each year, an all-new model gets highlighted, and for 2012 it's the 2012 CVO Road Glide Custom.
This new riff on the popular shark-nose bagger (you can still get a stocker in the regular lineup) combines that distinctive, frame-mounted fairing with a road-hugging profile. A high-output, amplified Harman/Kardon Advanced Audio radio features CD/AM/FM/WB and delivers 100 watts per channel to five-by-seven-inch fairing-mount speakers and two-inch dash-mount tweeters. An included 8GB Apple iPod nano connects via an interface located in the right-side saddlebag. Features unique to this model include a smoked, aerodynamically designed Wind Splitter windshield, a two-piece custom seat with removable pillion and color-coordinated stitching, and a color-matched, low-profile fuel tank console with illuminated CVO graphic insert. Brushed nickel skull medallions adorn the fuel tank and fairing, and a 19-inch Contrast Chrome Agitator Custom front wheel leads the newest member of the CVO family down the road. Other details include a "Heavy Breather" style air intake with a black anodized cover and a black ergonomically-designed, internally wired handlebar to maintain the bike's "sinister" theme. And this year, all CVO models get an indoor storage cover with embroidered CVO(tm) logo as well as a commemorative CVO ignition key as well as a custom tool kit.
The CVO Road Glide Custom can be had in three custom color schemes, each with a gloss black powdercoat powertrain, a color-matched inner fairing and speedometer/tachometer housing, color-matched upper fork sliders, license plate light cover, and rear fender strut covers. Take a deep breath now, however| the CVO Road Glide carries a U.S. retail price of $30,699, with production limited to approximately 2,100 units.
The rest of the 2012 CVO lineup includes three returning models, each featuring new paint schemes and features.